Earlier this week I learned that my good friend and kalayanamitta, SN Goenka's area-teacher for Tasmania, passed away from lung cancer. Steve was only diagnosed earlier this year and faced his prognosis and demise with equanimity.

Each one of us and everyone we know and care about lives with the prospect of death.
Human life is so precious - do what needs to be done.
In the words of the Buddha:

Meditate, Cunda, do not delay, lest you later regret it. This is my message to you.

-- Sallekha Sutta

Wishing you all swift progress on the path and may you all make an end of suffering.
kind regards,

Ben

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Thank you all, but I am ok.
I started the thread for your benefit - not mine.
I wanted to remind you of the necessity to do what needs to be done.
As my teacher says: Make best use of your time!
with metta,

Ben

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Thank you for that personal reminder that people do actually die, every day and almost constantly, despite our habitual denial that it could actually happen to us, and at a time not of our choosing, in fact - every breath we draw in, could be our last

must practice with more ardency

namaste _/I\_

"To these too I teach the Dhamma which is lovely in its beginning, lovely in its middle and lovely in its ending, in spirit and in letter, I display to them the holy life, perfectly fulfilled and purified."- from the Desanaa Sutta

Ben wrote:Thank you all, but I am ok.
I started the thread for your benefit - not mine.
I wanted to remind you of the necessity to do what needs to be done.
As my teacher says: Make best use of your time!
with metta,

Ben

Perhaps it would be useful to expose that which stops us from progressing on the noble path? It shouldn't come as anything new, however things tend to be less potent under the light of inquiry.

Sometimes it is hesitation to ask questions, should they be considered too simple or repetitive or not valuable by others. (moha)
Sometimes it is the challenge of making extra effort, to formulate the ideas, meditate or read more? (dosa)
Sometimes it is the sense of "self identity" which makes us feel shy, embarrassed, lonely or insufficient for achieving the noble goal. (lobha)

It certainly seems to me that beyond the practically daily issues of free time, money, work and family etc, we are also facing the same 'enemies' in daily tasks and in our practice as we are trying to rid ourselves of i.e. moha - ignorance, loba - craving/attachment and dosa - aversion.

metta

“Both formerly & now, it is only stress that I describe, and the cessation of stress.” — SN 22:86